ATLAS · EnerTchad
Infrastructure and operations
Explore export infrastructure, crude characteristics and operating conditions.
6Infrastructure & export
Export rests on the Doba–Kribi pipeline, about 1,070 km long (of which ~170 km on Chadian territory), commissioned in 2003 — operated by TOTCO on the Chadian side and COTCO on the Cameroonian side. SHT holds 40% of TOTCO; fiscal metering (LACT, Coriolis meters ±0.05%) certifies transfers at Doba, Komé and Kribi. The crude is loaded off Kribi (Cameroon) via the Komé–Kribi 1 floating terminal. Refining & Distribution, the Djermaya refinery (SRN, 20 kb/d nominal, ~14 kb/d actual), commissioned in 2011 with CNPC, remains the country’s only refining site.
| Infrastructure | Type | Capacity / Length | In service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doba–Kribi pipeline | Export (Chad→Cameroon) | ~1,070 km · ~225 kb/d | 2003 |
| Komé–Kribi 1 FSO terminal | Offshore storage / loading | 2.4 Mb | 2003 |
| Ronier–Djermaya pipeline | Domestic crude | 300 km | 2011 |
| Djermaya refinery (SRN) | Refining | 20 kb/d | 2011 |
A Chad–Algeria framework agreement to study a second 20 kb/d refinery was signed in April 2026, to strengthen coverage of domestic needs.
◆Crude technical sheet (Doba Blend)
The input datum of any downstream operation: the crude’s profile. Doba Blend is heavy, sweet, but marked by strong naphthenic acidity — which dictates unit metallurgy more than sulphur does.
| Source fields | Komé · Miandoum · Bolobo (Doba basin) |
| Density | ≈ 21° API — a heavy crude |
| Sulphur | ≈ 0.10% m — doux (sweet) |
| Acid number (TAN) | high — naphthenic acids (narrows the refiner base) |
| Calcium | 250 – 350 ppm |
| Stake no. 1 | Naphthenic corrosion → alloyed metallurgy, no major H₂S problem |
Indicative values varying by batch/blend date. Sources: Chevron/Texaco assays (Oil & Gas Journal), ESMAP.
◆Operations support networks
No operation stands without its support networks. Here are those Chadian operations depend on — with their real status: the sector’s are operational, EnerTchad’s own remain targets.
◆Gas & safety — H₂S and associated gas
Doba crude is sweet, but H₂S remains an operating risk — associated gas, confined spaces, and reservoir souring induced by water injection / EOR. Heavier than air, it accumulates in low points.
| Concentration | Effect / benchmark |
|---|---|
| 0.01 – 0.1 ppm | Odour threshold (rotten egg) — not to be relied on |
| 10 ppm | Recommended exposure limit (NIOSH REL) |
| 20 ppm | OSHA ceiling |
| 100 ppm | IDLH — immediate danger; olfactory paralysis |
| 500 ppm | Rapid loss of consciousness |
| ≥ 1000 ppm | Immediate collapse, one to two breaths |
Reference frame: NIOSH Pocket Guide, OSHA 1910.1000. Target of a company in formation.
◆Climate & operating windows
In Chad, the calendar commands the operations. Drilling, crude transport and worksites are planned around the dry season; the rains and the harmattan dictate buffer stocks and maintenance.